Apparatus for slitting leather



1933- J. R. RITZINGER Er-AL 1,940,464

APPARATUS FOR SLITTING LEATHER Filed Aug. 24, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 1"imam i 21 Y l 1, W 15 T22 19 J8\ llmmlh.

Z VI EI .[LIZZTE 1933- J. R. RITZINGER ET AL 1,940,454

APPARATUS FOR SLITTING LEATHER Filed Aug. 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HillY I EFVL/TEE J/ad 6. 6Vd726.

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Dec- 19, 933- J. R. RITZINGER El'AL 1,940,464

APPARATUS FOR SLITTING LEATHER Filed Aug. 24, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 3 9 5637 y ZZ Z E li/A9 1 A Z6 5 H 44 M 60 Z Z60 Z6 Patented Dec. 19, I933This invention relates to an forming book covers.

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- Pi l 1,940,464 g APPARATUS FOR SLITTING LEATHER John RvRitzinger andFred G. Bevans, Kansas City, Mo., assignors to Wilson-Jones Company, i

Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 24,1931. Serial No. 558,930

12 Claims.

apparatus for mechanism thereto.

This invention has for its object a new and improved apparatus forslitting the leather to receive the back plate and for scoring thesameto provide a hinge joint. The apparatus is exceedingly simple andresults .in a great saving of time, labor and expensive machinery.

tures in the different.

Figure l is a top plan view involving this invention. g

side elevational view 0f the ap- Figure 2 is a paratus.

views:

of the apparatus a Figure 3 is a sectional view taken upon the line III-III of'Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing theram in elevation.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line IVIV omitted.

Figure 5 is upon the line V-V platform elevated.

Figure 6 the ram.

of Figure l with parts an enlarged sectional view taken of Figure 1,showing the is an enlarged bottom plan view of Figure 7 is an enlargedfragmentary sectional Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional upon the line VIII-VIII of Figure 4.

view of. the ram taken upon the line VIE-VII of view. taken Figures 9and 10v are fragmentary elevational views tion.

of slitting members involving this inven l o o the same is startedforward onits working stroke According to this invention, a piece ofleather cent horizontal slits are simultaneously formed lengthwise ofthe sheet to provide a pair of flaps underneath of which tened. .s

a metal plate. may be fas- The: illustrated apparatus-consists of alongi tudinally extending base member 1, A pair of filler blocks 2(Figure 3) extend transversely of the base 1 adjacent the ends thereofto provide a space Stherebetween for a later appear. A ram guide member5 is supported upon the filler blocks 2, This guide mem ber consists ofspaced. side' walls 6 which are provided with longitudinally extendingguide grooves 7 (Figure 5) for receiving ribs Supon' the sides-of areciprocable ram 9 which fits in the guide'wayformed bythespaced walls6. The bottomof the ram guide is cut out in alignment with the space 3;between the filler blocks 2. as shown in Figure 3 and a yieldable bottomor sup- 7 port 10 is positioned in such cutout bottom and supported inalignment with the bottomby means of coil'springs ll-positioned insockets 12 in the base member 1. The yieldable support 10 forms the mainsupportfor the leatherto be slit. This yielding support has bifurcatedends which re-- 'ceive the filler blocks 2. The forks 10 extend beyondthe openspace 3as-shown in Figure 2' fora purpose that will laterappear.

It will be noted that the springs 11 normally so tend to force thesupport 10 upwardly and when it is desired to place a piece of leatheruponithe support l0,'it is necessary to depress the same as shown inFigure 2. This supporting platform 10 is adapted to be automaticallydepresseddur ing the reciprocating movement of the ram -9.. To this end,a pair of pawls or dogs 13 are piv ,oted intermediate their ends to,each side of the guide member 5 and each pair of dogs are pivotallyconnected in tandemby a rod 15. These dogs are located over the forks 10of the support ing platformlO,

The aforementionedram 9 carries a cross head 16 shown in Figures 1, 2,and 3 but omitted in Figure 4. A'dog 17 is pivoted intermediate its endsto each end of the cross head. 16 in the plane of the adjacent dog 13.The dogs 1'7 have lower hooked ends (Figure Zladapted for engage ing theforward dogs 13 and swinging the same 7 for releasing thespring?pressedplatform 10 when which will have beenmoved toverticalposition forlowering the work platform 10 as will. later purposethat will 60 i mounted upon the support 19 and provided with a set screw22 for securing the same in any adjusted position. It will be understoodthat one lateral edges of the cover.

lateral edge of the leather cover 23 is adapted.

to contact the upstanding flange of the angle bar 20, as shown in Figure5. Consequently, the

sliding adjustments of the angle bar 20 will determine the distance ofthe slitportion from the If desirable, an auxiliary platform 10 (Figure5) upon the near side of the platform may be used'to support the leathercover as it is being slit. i

The bottom of the ram 9 carries slitting mechanism for making a verticalslit in the leather and two adjacent horizontal slits to provide flaps.While this mechanism may assume various forms, the preferred form hasbeenillustrated'and will now be specifically described. Upon the frontend of the ram 9, there is a block 23, upon which a a plate 24 issupported, that projects rearwardly of the block (Figure 4). The shank25 of the slitting element 26 extends through this plate and isvertically adjustable with respect thereto by means of the nuts 2'? and28 which are threaded upon said shank upon opposite sides of the plate24. The shank 25 extends through an aperture in a bearing 29 in the ram9.

The slitting element '26 which is secured upon the shank '25 consists ofa forward point or apex 26 and sloping sides 26 shown more clearly inFigure 6. The slitting element may have a flat bottom as illustrated inFigures 7 and 10, or the bottom may be slightly concave as illustratedin connection with the slitting element 26 shown in Figure 9 wherein thebottom 26 is shown concave. Likewise, the angularity of the portions ofthe slitting elements may be varied to produce a flat or tapering flap.Adjacent'the forward point of the slitting element, there is a shoe30having a ii-shaped beveled notch 31 partly overlapped by the edges ofthe slitting element 26. The shoe 3() is attached to the yielding base32 by means of a screw bolt 33 and slot 34 whereby the. shoe may belongitudinallyadjusted. The slit flaps pass between the shoe 30 and theslitting element and as it may be desired to vary the thickness of theflaps, the shoe is made longitudinally adjustable. The shoe also servesto smooth the leather'in advance of the slitting element and to guidethe flaps upwardly and outwardly. It will be noted that the ram isreduced in thickness rearward of the slitting tool, so a suff cientspace occurs between the bottom of the shoeagainst which the leather ispressed and such reduced portion to allow the slit flaps to flexupwardly and outwardly. The slitting element is also adapted to bevertically adjusted with respect to the shoe to determine the depth ofcut: The yielding base32 is attached to the bottom of the ramby a pairof screw bolts 35 and- 36 for vertical movement to wardand from thebottom of the ram. A spring confining chamber. 37 surrounds the outerportion of thebolt 35 and a coil-spring 38 in said chamber bears againstthe shoe 30, whereby such ment 41, which is designed to travel inadvance of the slitting element 26 and make a vertical cut in theleather in alignment with the apex 26 of the slitting element. This shoe39 bridges the gap between the shoe 30 and the rotary slitting elernent41. It will, of course, be understood that the rotary cutter 41 cutsonly partially through the leather and substantially to the same depthasthe slitting element. The ram 9 is provided with a pair of yieldingtongues 42 with aspace between said tongues to receive the rotarycutting element 41. Suitable recesses 43 are provided in the ramadjacent the outer sides of the tongues 42 for the reception of suitablescorbook covers to provide a more flexible hinge joint for the sideportions thereof. The scoring rolls 44 and the rotary cutting element 41are secured upon a shaft 45'journa1led in the resilient tongues 42. Oneor more adjustable screws 46 (Figure l) mayextend through the ram 9 andengage the tongues 42 for adjusting the same to lower or raise therotary cutting element 41 and scoring rolls 44 with respect to thebottom of the ram'in order that the depth of out may be varied.

The ram 9 is adapted to be reciprocated when in use. This maybe manuallydone or maybe performed by some suitable power means and for thispurpose, a T-slot 47 (Figure 1) is'provided in the outer end of the ramfor receiving a pneumatically operated plunger W in order to limit theforward movement or the ram, a yoke 48 may be attached to theaforementioned block 23;

This yoke is shown as having terminal depending arms 48 which strike thelugs 13 of the rear dogs 13 when the slitting element reaches the end ofthe leather cover for arresting'further movement of the ram. The levers13 will of course be inclined rearwardly and the lower portions will beextending forwardly when the leather plat-, form is elevated. The lowerportions of the rear levers 13 have laterally projectinglugs 13 that liein the path-of the arms 48. When these arms 48 strike the lugs 13 thelevers 13 will swing to vertical position and lower the leather platformfor removal of the leather and the insertion of a new piece.

In the position of parts as shown in Figure 2, the ram is in itsstarting position and the leather supporting platform 10 is in itslowered positionso that a leather cover or the like may be inserted inthe machine upon the platform 10. The ram 9 may then be advanced fortrippingthe dogs 13 and allowing the platform 10 to rise and bring theleather in the proper plane for the slitting-element to cut in the edgethereof. As the ram is further advanced, the rotary cutter 41 will makea slight vertical cut in the leather in alignment with the apex of theslitting element and the scoring rolls will score the hinges. Theslitting element will make horizontal slits, extending from the verticalcuts to form suitable flaps which will flex upwardly over the sides ofthe slitting element as it advances; When the cover has been slit fromend to end, the ram will be arrested as previously explained,- and theplat form 10 will be lowered by the righting of'the apparatus is veryefficient in that very few, if

any covers are spoiled or result in waste.

We are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and we, therefore, do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by theprior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a leather slitting machine, a supporting platform for maintainingthe leather flatwise, a reciprocable member having a rotary cutter formaking a vertical incision, slitting elements for making lateralincisions from said vertical incision, and scoring rolls for scoring theleather and means for guiding said member.

2. In a leather slitting machine, a member having a guideway with anopen bottom, a platform yieldably supported below said member, a ramembodying cutting elements in said guideway, and means actuated bymovement of said ram for depressing said platform.

3. In a leather slitting machine, a supporting platform, a memberforming a guideway along one surface of said platform, and areciprocable ram mounted in said guideway, leather cutting elements formaking a vertical incision and adjacent lateral incisions carried bysaid ram and scoring rolls for forming hinge joints mounted upon saidram.

4. In a leather slitting apparatus, a cutting element for making avertical incision in the leather,

slitting elements for making lateral incisions from said verticalincisions'for forming flaps, scoring elements for forming hinge jointsinthe leather and means for simultaneously actuating I said elements.

5. In an apparatus for slitting flaps from leather, means forming aguideway, a reciprocating ram mounted in said guideway, a V-shapedcutting tool having a shank extending said ram, a leather supportingplatform beneath said ram, a yieldingbase attached to the bottom of theram forward of said tool, a shoe attached to' said yielding base, andyielding means for urging said platform toward said shoe.

6. In an apparatus for slitting flaps from leather, means forming aguideway, a ram mounted in said guideway, a yielding base upon thebottom of said ram, a shoe having a V-shaped notch secured to said base,a V-shaped cutting tool mounted upon said ram, and cooperating with Imovement in a straight gaging said platform, and

through said shoe, and a leather supporting platform beneath said ram. Ic

7. In an apparatus for slitting flaps from leather, a leather supportingplatform, means for guiding a ram for reciprocable movements above saidplatform, a rotarycutting element upon said ram, a V-shaped cutting toolupon said ram rearward of said cutting element, a shoe upon the.

bottom of the ram forward of said cutting tool and means for yieldinglyurging said platform toward said shoe.

8. In an apparatus for slitting flaps from leather, a leather supportingplatform, means forming a guideway above saidplatform, aretary cuttingelement mounted upon said member for making a vertical incision in saidleather and a slitting element upon said ram rearward of said rotarycutting element for making lateral incisions from said vertical incisionfor producing flaps, and means for guiding said member for path, saidmember having provisions to allow said to the plane of said leather.

10. In a leather slitting machine, means forming a guideway, areciprocable ram mounted in said guideway, slitting elements carried bysaid ram, a'leather supporting platform beneath said flaps to flex withrespect ram, yielding means for normally urging saidplatform toward saidram, levers connected in tandem pivoted to said firstmentioriedmeans forenmeans carried by said ram for actuating said levers. I

.11. In an apparatus for cutting flaps from leather, a pairof spacedwalls having opposed grooves, a reciprocating member: between said wallshaving-lateral extending guide parts located in said grooves, a leathercutting element upon said member, a flap slitting element behind and inspaced relation to said cutting element, and a leather supportingplatform beneath said walls. 12.'In an apparatus for cutting flaps fromleather, a pair of spaced guide members, a ram having guide partscooperating with said members for movement in a rectilinear path, acutting tool on the bottom of the ram for making a vertical incision inthe leather, a V-shaped cutting tool on said ram rearward of said firsttool for severing flaps from the leather, and a leather supportingplatform beneath said ram.

JOHN R RITZINGER.

FRED G. BEVANVS.

